Ash-sifter.



No. 660,784. Patented Oct. 30, I900.

- c. .1. WOWRA.

ASH SIFTER.

(Application filed Nov. 22, 1899.,

1 (N0 Modal.)

2 Shuts-Shoat l.

jm/cnfor: Carz fWowra No. 660,784. Patented Oct. 30, 1900. c. J. WOWRA.

ASH SIFTEB.

(Application filed Nov. 22, 1899.\ (No Model.) 2 Sheats8haet 2.

jnlffiniorl ll/z'z neascs: Carl J 7V6wr'a NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

CARL J. WOWRA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ASH-SlFTl-ZR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,784. dated October 30, 1900.

Application filed November 22, 1899. Serial No 737.867. blo modem To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CARL J. \VOWRA, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ash-Sifters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to portable ash-Sifters for domestic use; and the objectof myinvention is to provide an ash-sifter having a r0- tary and an oscillatory screen and embodying improvements in the method of agitating said oscillatory screen and in the method of sup porting said rotary screen. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of the entire device, taken chiefly in central vertical section from front to rear or lengthwise of the main shaft. Said figure shows the cover partially raised upon its hinges and also shows the hopper, the shaking-screen, the revolving screen or barrel, the drawer forming the ash-receptacle, the drawer forming the coal-receptacle, and the several chutes. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the rear fixed chute and ash drawer chute, taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrow in said figure. The rear hoop and supporting-arm of the revolving screen are also shown in their proper positions relatively to said chutes. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the revolving screen and adjacent parts, taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrow in said figure, Fig. 3 showing the relative positions occupied by the forward hoop and arm of the revolving screen, the front bar of the shaking-screen, the cross-rest for said bar, and the front chute, which is fixed to the removable portion of the front of the casing. Fig. 4. is a top view of the entire device, on a reduced scale, with the cover and fixed portion of the top removed and shows the hopper, shakingscreen, and front chute. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the entire device and shows the method of removing a portion of the front of the casing together with the shaft and revolving screen, the ash-drawer being withdrawn from the casing to permit the removal of the parts. Fig. 6 is a perspective view in detail of portions of the main shaft and the front arm of the revolving screen, showing the split pin or stop for holding said arm in place upon said shaft. Fig. 7 is a detail view taken longitudinally with the main shaft of the rear bearing of said shaft and parts adjacent thereto.

Similarletters refer to similarparts throughout the several views.

The casing A A forms a shell or box Wherein the working parts of the sifter are inclosed. Said casing is preferably a rectangular, wooden structure mounted upon casters a Ct, and is so constructed that when closed ready for use no dust can escape therefrom. The greater portion of the top of said casing is closed by means of the cover a, hinged upon the fixed portion a of said top. When the sifter is being charged, said cover may be turned back upon and be supported by said fixed portion 0. At the edges of said cover a are the flanges a a which fit closely over the sides and front of the casing and render said cover dust-tight. Within said casing and near the upper portion thereof is the hopper B, which consists of the partitions b b I), set at the sides and back of the casing A and extending obliquely downward toward the center of the sifter. Said partitions extend only part Way to the center of the casing, leaving a preferably rectangular space or aperture, which is bounded on three sides by the inner edges of said partitions and on the fourth side by the front wall of the easing A. Said space or aperture furnishes means whereby the ashes may pass from said hopper B onto the shaking-screen C. At the forward portion of said hopper are the deflectors b b, which divert toward the center of the sifter such particles as may impinge upon them. Said screen C consists, preferably, of a series of small bars (marked 0 a) lying approximately in the same plane and so spaced that the smallest particles of coal which it is desired shall be retained may not pass through the interstices between said bars. The cross-bar c constitutes the forward limiting edge o: .35 1 screen and extends horizontally in a inaction parallel to the front Wall of the casing A and at a distance therefrom sufficient to allow the passage of the coal and ashes which do not pass through said screen. The extent and position of the said shaking-screen C is such that 2 sea /s4 the side and rear limiting edges thereof are adjacent to but lie slightly beneath and to the outside of the inner edges of the hopperpartitions b b. The rear extremity of said screen is pivotally supported upon the horizontal transverse shaft 0 which latter is provided with suitable hearings in the side walls of the casing A. The screen 0 is so set as to have a downward pitch from rear to front in order that the particles not passing there through may pass off over the front extremity thereof. The cross-rest 0 extends horizontally across the device parallel to the front Wall of the casing and at a distance therefrom equal to the distance of the screen cross-bar c therefrom. Said cross-rest lies beneath said screen cross-bar and forms a support whereon the forward portion of said screen may rest.

The revolving screen D consists, preferably, of approximately parallel bars (marked d cl) attached at their extremities to the front and rear hoops d and 01 respectively. Said hoops are circular, concentric with the main shaft E, and extend in a direction transverse.

to said shaft E and parallel to the frontand rear walls of the casing A. The said bars 61 dare spaced sufficiently close together to prevent the passage between them of particles the size of the smallest particle of coal The rear hoop d is.

which is to be retained. somewhat larger in diameter than the front hoop 01, thus giving tosaid revolving screen the configuration of a right-truncated cone. As said shaft E is horizontal, the uppermost ones of the bars at d have a pitch downward toward the front and the lowermost ones of said bars have a pitch downward toward the rear. By this construction particles which will not pass through the upper portion of said screen will tend'to pass over thefforward hoop d thereof,and' suchparticles lying within said screen will tend to pass over the rear hoop 01 thereof. The said screen D is located closely beneath the shaking-screen Q, the forward 11009 y n e ic ly e eath h cross-re t c and the rear hoop d lying at a distance of said shaft and of the revolvingscreen D is effected by means of the cranlg FLSBOUIQQ to said aft t r a ex r mity the eo The stop e 'is attached to the shaft Ea short;

distance to the rear of the front arm 6, as shown in Fig. 6, and thereby prevents Said Said shaftEfprojects beyond the. forward wall of the casing'A and the rotation shaft from being withdrawn in a forward di rection through said arm e. Said forward arm 6 projects at both extremities radially beyond the hoop d and when in a vertical position extends above the cross-rest c Said arm revolves in a vertical plane adjacent to the cross-teste and as the cross-bar c of the screen 0 lies upon the said cross-rest said arm 6 when rotated to a vertical position comes intocon'tact with said bar 0 and raises it in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Therefore for each complete rotation of the re- 1 v ol ving screen D the forward portion of the shaking-semen O is twice raised from and lowered onto said cross-rest. As the screen is pivotally supported at the rear extremity i thereof, the rotation of the. revolving screen imparts a vibratory or shaktng motion to. the lscro n. 0, thereby affo i g an opportunity for the smaller particles in the hopper B to drop. through. the interstices in said screen. ;Sai'd vibratory motion also induces in the f particles. which are too. greatto dI-Op through said shaking-soreena endency to move forward and. pass over the front cross-bar c. The hushi gf is fixed, within the removabl port on 9 o the forward wall of the casing A and forms the f rward bearing for said shaft The. rea b a g for said shaft is shown n. detai n F g. 7 and consistsof abushing f, fixed within the rear wall of the casingA.

I prefer tolco nstruct said near bearing in the manner shown, the diameter of said bushing eing s lnewhangreate than thediameter of he shaft 11,, hereby permitting considerable o, prevent. the. rearwand mo ion. of the shaft.

E. The proper distance between the rear wall of the casing. Aand the anm e of the nevolving screen Dis. maintained by the span.- ing llar o nshingf whiohinoloses said shaft a d. xtends between said rent arirn e and ear all; of. the. casing A.

The removable portion 9 of the froutwal'l of the casing consists of a sliding section whi h travels upon the vertical waysg, 1.0- atod. symmet cal y at shontdistances from the lateral edges of the said. front, wall. In rde t proc re a. ght. joint between said rernonable portion 9 and said casing, said nysnltep ofe ably ofthetongueandrgnooved yn not xtend below the lower extremity of said emovab e portion. 9., and the, aperture thns remaining is occupied by the fronts of the sh-drnwenj and coal-drawer K when in. position... As thedistanc between. the Waysg is greate than thedistancebetween the side walls of the casingA, the saidremovableportion 9 may be. disengaged and. removed; by

The firontwall of the casing A does.

sconce A being passed in a downward direction beyond the extent of said ways 9 in the manner shown in Fig. 5. Between the forward extremity of the revolving screen D and the front wall of the casing A is placed the front chute G, which is rigidly secured to the said removable portion 9 of the casing A. The relative locations of the screen D, chute G, and removable portion g of the casing A are such that when said portion 9 is in place said chute G will receive material passing downward over the front cross-bar c of the screen 0 and said material will be guided into the front lower portion of the revolving screen D. Said forward fixed chute G consists, preferably, of metal and flares toward the rear in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The lower portion of the said chute G therefore has a downward pitch from front to rear, so that material will not permanently lodge upon said chute, but will tend to move toward the said screen. The chute G extends at its lower portion from said front wall to a point adjacent to the forward screen-arm 6, thus constituting a stop for preventing-the motion of the arm 6 toward the front wall of the casing A.

The rear chute H is rigidly secured to the rear wall of the casing A and consists, preferably, of a sheet of metal bent into cylindrical form. Said chute H is concentric with the main shaft E and is of a diameter slightly great-er than the diameter of the rear extremity of the revolving screen D. Said chute extends from said rear wall to a point somewhat forward of the rear extremity of said screen, thereby forming a hood and preventing material from the hopper from passing over the rear extremity of said screen. Said chute H does not make a complete circumference, but has at its lower central portion the aperture h, wherethrough material passing over the open rear extremity of the screen D may pass downward into the drawerchnte J. The said drawer-chute J constitutes an integral portion of the ash-drawer j and leads from the aperture 77, in the chute H to the coal-drawer K, located in the casing A beneath the said ash-drawerj. It is preferable that said chute J have a forward pitch in order that the coal passing therethrough may be better distributed in the lower drawer K. The horizontal guides or waysj are built into the casing A and support the said drawer j. On account of its location beneath the screens 0 and D said drawer j receives the particles of ashes which sift through said screens. The drawer K occupies a position near the base of the casing A and constitutes the receptacle for the coal which is delivered thereto through the said chute J.

In the operation of my device the unsifted ashes containing particles of unburned coal are introduced into the hopper B through the top of the casing A and the cover a is tightly closed to prevent the escape of dust. The drawersj and K are completely closed, so that -Ihe front faces thereof are substantially flush with the front wall of the casing A, and said casing is then dust-tight. When the crank F is turned, the shaft E and screen D are rotated, and said rotation brings the projecting extremities of the front arm 6 successively into contact with the lower face of the crossbar 0, thereby raising the latter from the cross-rest 0 The continued rotation of the said arm and screen causes the projecting extremities to revolve past the arc of contact, and said bar 0' falls again onto the rest 0 This rising and falling of the front bar 0 of the shaking-screen C imparts a vibratory or oscillatory motion to said screen through a limited are about the shaft 0 as a center. The vibration of the shaking-screen 0 causes the smaller particles of ashes to fall through said screen onto the revolving screen D. As there is a considerable forward pitch to the screen 0, the larger particles of coal and ashes tend to move toward and drop over the crossbar 0. The small particles which have passed through the screen (J pass through or over the sides of the screen D and are collected in the upper drawer j. The particles which have passed over the front cross-bar a drop into the chute G and are conveyed into the forward lower portion of the revolving screen D. The revolution of said screen D causes a tumbling of theinclosed particles both upon themselves and upon the bars 01 d, and the large particles of unburned coal are thoroughly freed from the fine dust and ashes, which latter pass between said bars d (Z and are collected in the said ash-drawer The particles which are too large to pass between said bars d d gradually move toward the rear of the screen D on account of the pitch of the latter and finally pass rearwardly over the hoop d, falling into the rear chute or hood H and chute J, whence they are conveyed into the lower drawer K.

Should any part of the coal or ashes be forced over the rear extremity of the screen 0, such part of the coal or ashes would be prevented, by means of the chute or hood H, from entering the coal-chute J.

When it is desired to remove the revolving screen D and connected parts, the upper drawerj is first entirely withdrawn from the casing A. The shaft E is forced in a forward direction to the limit of its play-that is, until the stop 6 thereon comes into contact with the front arm 6 and forces the latter against the front chute G. When in this forward position, the rear bearingf of said shaft permits sufficient lateral play at the forward extremity of the latter to allow the removable portion 9 to slide downward on thetongue-and-grooved guides g until said portion g is free from said casing. The said portion g, together with the chute G, shaft E, and screen D, may then be withdrawn through the opening provided for the drawerj.

Although I have shown and described screens composed of bars which are parallel, or approximately so, I do not confine myself IIO to screens of such construction, and woven screens or screens composed of metallic sheets having apertures punched or drilled therein would lie within my invention.

I prefer to construct the casing A of wood protected in parts by sheets of metal; but it is evident that the entire structure may be metallic, if desired.

What I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an ash-sitter, the combination of a flat screen oscillating upon a horizontal axis and having a cross-strip upon the edge thereof opposite to said axis; a rotary screen below said flat screen; arms projecting radially beyond said rotary screen, said arms revolving in the plane wherein said cross-strip lies and being adapted to raise and lower said flat screen when said rotary screen is rotated; a shaft whereon said rotary screen is revolubly mounted; a casing inclosing said parts; a removable panel sliding in vertical guides in said casing, said panel supporting one extremity of said shaft and affording means whereby said rotary screen may be removed from said casing, and a drawer, which, when closed, serves to hold in place the panel and the screen.

' CARL J. WOWRA. Witnessesi MAX HILLER,

ARTHUR M. 00X. 

